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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Spring Cleaning Goes Green ~ Guest Post

Today I am featuring one of my favorite blog friends, Katherine of Katherine's Corner blog as my guest blogger. She has been an angel to me, helping to set up and design buttons, etc for my other blog, Growing Old With Grace, and I love her for it!

Katherine is sharing her post from May 6, 2011 on the topic of Spring Cleaning. The timing is perfect for us and she has so much good information here for us! Get out your handy dandy notebook and take notes ~ or bookmark this page and come back for another look anytime!

Before I dive into today’s post I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to Java at Never Growing Old. Every week I join her blog hop and discover wonderful new blogs. She generously offers the chance to be randomly selected as a featured blogger . I am thrilled to have the coveted spot this week. Please stop by Java’s blog you’ll be glad you did. Don’t forget to tell her I sent you .

Okay now on to today’s post!

I know most of you have probably started and finished your spring cleaning by now. But, I’m just a little slow out of the gate this year. With the weather being so uncooperative it’s been difficult to get into spring cleaning mode.

But this weekend it’s happening!

Spring cleaning means different things to everyone. To me it means, washing down the patio furniture and cleaning the windows. Taking care of a few of the things around the house that otherwise went unnoticed during our winter hibernation.

The windows are a big deal to me. Don’t you just love having the windows sparkling clean after the winter. Being able to see clearly through them to view all of the lovely flowers in the garden is a must. I love watching the birds to as they enjoy the endless ” all you can eat” buffet I provide for them regularly.

In our home we try and limit the use of chemical based cleaning products. Today I’m sharing with you some simple alternatives that work really well. I hope you’ll give one, or some, of them a try.

Baking Soda – Cleans and deodorizes. It’s also a good scouring powder, but it can scratch so be careful where you us it.Liquid detergent – Biodegrades safely and most are completely non-toxic.White Vinegar -or Lemon Juice – Cuts grease and freshens.Washing Soda-( sodium carbonate) Cuts grease and removes stains. You will find it in the laundry section of your market ( I prefer arm and hammer)Window Cleaner1/4-1/2 tsp of dawn (or other liquid detergent)3 Tbsp vinegar2 cups waterSpray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use it just like you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. Be sure to pick a cloudy day to wash the windows of wait for window to be in the shade. If it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast and you’ll have streaks. I use a washable microfiber cloth to wipe with, But the old newspaper page works well too ( just crumble a few pages into a loose ball and wipe. A squeegee is great too!

All Purpose Spray Cleaner1/2 tsp washing soda (sodium carbonate)A dollop ( about a tsp) of dawn (liquid detergent)2 cups hot tap waterCombine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

Creamy ScrubSimply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough dawn (liquid detergent) to make a paste. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is also a great way to clean your bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave a gritty residue. Just make as much as you need at a time, it doesn’t store well.

A little dab of olive oil on a microfiber cloth is a great furniture polish too.

Thank you, Katherine for enlightening us and giving us reason to "go green" as we so our Spring Cleaning! Be sure to visit Katherine atKatherine's Corner! There is always fun stuff going on there!

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About Me

My name is Pat. I'm a blogger. I’m sharing my experiences as I take baby steps to sustainability or "going green" and my small part in keeping our planet healthy. There will be recipes, tips, and laughs as I sort through all of the ideas I am finding and trying! Come join me on my journey!